Europe aims to increase the proportion of energy it generates from renewable sources to between 30% and 35% of electricity consumed by 2020. It has also set itself the target of reducing emissions by between 80% and 95% by 2050.

A prerequisite for these ambitious goals is that renewable energies can be fully integrated into the electricity grid. The Renewables Grid Initiative (RGI) campaigns for and supports this integration. Incorporating electricity from renewable energy sources into the grid will require significant expansion of the transmission systems.

The Renewables Grid Initiative was launched by Germanwatch, TenneT, 50Hertz and WWF International in 2009. Various European transmission system operators joined in 2010, including Swissgrid. Swissgrid’s CEO Pierre-Alain Graf gave the following explanation of why this initiative is important for Switzerland:

«Because of its geographical location, Switzerland is an important hub for the international trading of electricity. Hydropower plays a key role and has enabled renewable energies to enjoy a long history in Switzerland. The large number of storage power plants make an important contribution to reliable and sustainable energy supplies in Europe. Swissgrid, an important player in Switzerland's security of supply, will be investing between five and seven billion Swiss francs in replacing and upgrading the transmission system over the next few years. Feeding in wind and solar energy is a huge challenge, requiring an efficient grid system.»